Method of attaching keys to containers



Nov. 21, 1933. w w HODGSON 1,936,018

METHOD OF ATTACHING KEYS TO CONTAINERS Filed March 20, 1931 PatentedNov. 21, 1933 1,936,018

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF ATTACHING KEYS TO CON- TAINERSWilliam W. Hodgson, Chicago, 111., assignor to Continental Can Company,Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 20,1931. Serial No. 524,190 2 Claims. (Cl. 113-112) The invention relatesto new and useful imfore employed, there is no way of determining theprovements in the method of attaching keys to amount of solder used, northe restricting of the containers of the rip strip type. solder bondsubstantially to the region where gion where the bonding of the key tothe conamount of solder is used in each instance, and tainer end can beeffected. the solder is attached to the key so as to become A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a unit therewith, and is soattached thereto, 65 a method of solder bonding keys to containers inthe preferred form of the invention that no wherein a predeterminedamount of solder is flux is necessary, which often results in arustplaced in a pocket in the key so as to be retained ing of the keyparts with which it contacts when to the container end when placedthereon solely some time after the solder has been applied 70 by the aidof heat, melting the solder in the thereto. In carrying out theinvention, I propocket in the key and causing the same to flow vide thekey preferably in the region adjacent the into bonding relation with thekey and container slotted end thereof with a pocket. This pocket d, maybe made of any desired shape. It may be in In the drawing the form of arecess, or an opening extending all 75 Figure 1 is a plan view showingthe key atthe way through the key. In the pocket is placed tached to acontainer end by my improved metha predetermined quantity of solder.This solder 0d; may be applied to the key in various ways. In

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through a portion of one form of theinvention, the key is dipped into the key and container end on a largerscale; a solder bath and the pocket thus filled with 80 Fig. 3 is asectional view through the end of solder, which, when cooled, becomesfirmly atthe key, showing the formed pocket therein in tached to the keyand may be handled as a unit which the solder is to be placed; with thekey. In another form of the invention,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same; an opening is made all the waythrough the Fig. 5 is a view showing the pocket or opening key, and asolder rod of suflicient diameter to be 85 in the key as filled withsolder by the dipping of firmly gripped by the walls of the opening isthe key in molten solder; forced into the opening and then cut so as toFig. 6 is a sectional view showing the pocket leave a plug or lump ofsolder frictionally reas substantially filled with solder by forcing atained in the opening of a predetermined size.

solder rod into the pocket preparatory to the sev- This, of course, isdetermined by the size of the 90 ering of the solder rod at the surfaceof the key; opening. In another form of the invention, the

Fig. 7 is a view showing a spherical solder drop solder is first madeinto a substantially spherical placed on a key preparatory to theforcing of the solder drop, such as a shot. This solder drop same intothe pocket, and is of sufllcient diameter so as to rest in the Fig. 8 isa similar view, but showing the solder opening formed in the key, but itdoes not 95 drop as forced into the pocket. enter the opening untilforce is applied for forc- It is a very common expedient in thecontainer ing the solder drop into the opening. The solder portion whichmay be'wound on toakey for teargrip the walls of the opening and beretained 100 for releasing the end of the container from the Referringmore in detail to the drawing, Fig. body thereof. It has also been acommon ex- 1 shows a container end 1 to which a key 2 pedient to providemeans for attaching the key has been applied by my improved method. The

to the container end so that it may be readily key is provided with aslot 3 of the usual char- 105 key to a container end. By the methodsheretois provided with an opening 5, which as shown no in Figures 3 and4, extends all the way through the key. In all of the different forms ofthe invention, I have shown for the purpose of illustration only, anopening extending all the way through the key, which opening issubstantially circular in cross section and cylindrical in contour. Thisopening forms a pocket in which the solder to be used in bonding the keyto the container end is stored. It will be understood that the pocketmay be of any It may be in the form of a recess in one face only of thekey, and there may be several pockets, if desired. The pockets areproportioned so that when they are filled with solder, just the properamount of solder forbonding the key to the container end in the mostefficient manner is contained in the pocket. There are various ways inwhich this pocket may be filled substantially full of solder. One of theways as illustrated in Fig. 5, consists with the pocket pocket will befilled with solder, which, when cooled, will form a slug of solderindicated at 6 in Fig. 5. This slug of solder is housed within thepocket, and does not collect on either face of the key.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing, a different method is illustrated of fillingthe pocket with solder. In this form of the invention, a solder rod '7is made, which in diameter, is slightly greater than the the cylindricalpocket in the key. The rod is forced into the pocket, and is then cutoif at one side or at both sides of the key, so as to form a solder slug7 which fills the pocket. In the form of the invention shown in Figures'7 and 8, the solder is formed into a spherical drop as in dicated at 8.This may be formed in the ordinary way of forming shot. The diameter ofthe spherical solder lump is slightly greater than the diameter of thecylindrical opening 5 in the end of the key. The solder drop may besupported on the key and will rest in the opening as shown in Fig. "I.It is then placed in a machine where pressure may be applied to thesolder drop for forcing the same into the pocket to the position shownin Fig. 8. The solder is sufficiently soft so as to permit the forcingof the spherical solder drop into the cylindrical when forced therein itwill substantially conform to the shape of the pocket and will grip tiewalls of the pocket so as to be firmly retained therein. In all of theforms of the invention, a predetermined amount of solder is placed inthe pocket in the key and is substantially housed within the key so thatboth faces of the key are free from solder. The key is then placed onthe container end. It may be placed on the container end either side up,if the opening extends all the way through the key, as shown in thedrawing. Heat is applied to the solder after the key has been placed onthe end, and the solder will melt and flow from the pocket into bondingrelation with the key and container end, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 2 ofthe drawing. Practically all of the solder will be retained beneath thekey, so that little or no solder will appear on the end outside ofthe-region of the key. This makes a very efficient bonding of the key tothe container end by the use of a minimum amount of solder. It alsomakes a bonding which is substantially concealed by the body of the key.When the solder is attached to the key through the frictional grippingof the solder on the walls of the pocket, no fluxmg is necessary, andtherefore, there is no cause oxidation and rust if the, some time beforeit is attached to the end.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the shaping of thepocket, also in the forming of the solder lump, and the attaching of thesame to the key. The essential feature of the invention resides in theapplying of a predetermined amount of solder to the key, so that it maybe housed within the key walls and retained therein so that the key maybe handled as a unit in the applying of the key to the container end.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The method of attaching a key tocontainer ends consisting in forming said key with a solder retainingpocket, predetermined amount of solder, placing the key on the containerend with the pocket facing the same and applying heat to the solder forcausing all of the solder to flow from the pocket into bonding relationbetween the key and the container end.

2. The method of attaching a key having a flat end to container ends,consisting in forming said flat end portion with a pocket for solder,which pocket is located in said fiat from the side edges and the end ofthe key, filling said pocket with solder, placing the key on thecontainer end with the pocket facingthe container end, applying heat tothe solder for causing the same to flow from the pocket into bondingrelation between the key and the container end, said pocket beingdimensioned so that the solder bond produced by the melting of thesolder is confined substantially within the limits of the key andconcealed thereby.

WILLIAM W. HODGSON.

